


No kin together

by mllesatine



Category: The Eagle (2011)
Genre: M/M, Marcus!POV, Misunderstanding, awkward sexual situation, kinkmeme fill, movie!canon, perceived dubcon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-27
Updated: 2011-07-27
Packaged: 2017-10-21 19:55:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/229131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mllesatine/pseuds/mllesatine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Esca and Marcus map out their relationship.</p><p>"So they would do it under the covers of their bed and the darkness, never speaking of it. Marcus wanted to kiss Esca under the apple trees surrounding his farm but when he tried, Esca whipped his head around, startled and for all appearances angry."</p>
            </blockquote>





	No kin together

The months in the North had brought the restoration of his father's honour and name, Esca's freedom and a small farm to call his own.

They had moved and not talked about the big bed Marcus had bought. He expected Esca to leave. When he stayed and shared the work and the space in the bed, Marcus should have been happy. Instead he searched for signs of Esca's continued devotion. Was his debt not paid?

He tried to fill Esca's silence with meaning. A smoothing of his brows, the twitch of his mouth had to mean a hundred different things.

One evening he stared at the horizon, drawing Esca's gaze.

"What do you see, centurion?" Esca asked, at once tense.

"Only our hard work", Marcus replied and smiled. Esca gave a shrug and went into the house. When Marcus followed, Esca sat on the bed they shared. He gave Marcus a hard stare before undressing in silence and crawling into the bed.

Esca would grasp Marcus' shoulder in the middle of the night, waking him. He never talked then, only opened his legs. The first time he had urged Marcus on and Marcus had scrambled across the room, trying to find the oil. After that night, Esca was already slick and ready for him. Marcus never saw him with the oil and could only guess that Esca would wake up before him to prepare himself.

The days preceding those night weren't different from others. It didn't matter if Marcus smiled at Esca or if he was short with him, if the work they did was hard or the day was spent in leisure.

When Marcus nestled closer at night, Esca would sometimes push him away. Sometimes he woke with Esca's arse pressed to his groin, moving against him. He took Esca then, holding himself up with his hands but he could never find his courage to ask Esca what it all meant. If he pleased Esca.

So they would do it under the covers of their bed and the darkness, never speaking of it. Marcus wanted to kiss Esca under the apple trees surrounding his farm but when he tried, Esca whipped his head around, startled and for all appearances angry.

He wanted to see Esca's face but Esca resisted stubbornly.

"I would look upon you", Marcus said one night.

"No." Esca rolled away and they didn't speak of it again. Two nights later, after two tense days where Esca would meet his gaze for half a heart-beat and then look away, Esca woke Marcus up and drew him on top of him. Marcus felt the stirrings of anger but Esca lifted his arse into his palms, replacing the anger with lust.

Still, he felt himself pushing harder into Esca than he intended. Esca kept his silence and met him thrust for thrust.

-+

"We need to talk, Esca."

"Yes?" Esca blinked up at him. His tunic clung to his back. They had spent the best part of the morning removing stones from the field Esca wanted to plough for barley. Esca's eyes softened.

"You should rest for a while. I will rest with you", he decided. They walked to the edge of the field where they had collected the stones and Esca had placed a wineskin. He offered it to Marcus, then drank himself.

The wine dried out his throat. He looked at Esca, at his mouth and the line of his neck against the blue sky. Finally he looked into Esca's eyes and saw Esca straightening up under his gaze.

"Marcus?"

"When we are in bed together, all we do is the one thing. I would like to look upon your face." The words he had practised rushed out and Marcus felt the blush creeping into his cheeks.

"You look at my face now."

"That is hardly the same thing."

"It isn't? You think I change into a wild beast at night?", Esca mocked. A horrible suspicion befell Marcus. Maybe Esca didn't not want to look upon his face.

"Do you wish to marry?"

"Marry?", Marcus repeated confused.

"Do you wish to take some woman as wife?" Esca asked, pronouncing each word carefully.

"No. Esca, all I want is you."

"You have me. Now we should get back to work." He busied himself with the wine, then strode off, too fast for Marcus to follow.

Marcus sat outside this evening, not wishing to come close to Esca now that he had enraged him. He brooded over every word he had said. He didn't want to hurt or anger Esca but somehow his words had come out to sound like a master would when he was displeased with a slave. He had wanted to say more. That he wanted to touch Esca and be touched by him, that he would kiss him all over if Esca would permit it.

That night Esca hardly spoke. They went to bed early, both tired from the day's work and not meeting each other's eyes. For a time they lay side by side. When Marcus grew tired and closed his eyes, Esca startled him by sitting up abruptly. Marcus' heart started to hammer in his chest and he fully expected Esca to get up and start packing his things. What he did not foresee was Esca bending forward and lifting the blanket off Marcus only to drape it back over them again. Esca grasped his cock and and guided it in his open mouth.

"What are you doing?" Marcus demanded and shook Esca's shoulder. He felt his cock stir and dug his hand in Esca's shoulder.

Esca straightened up, but faced away from him. The blanket had pooled around Marcus' thighs.

"Is this not what I was asked this morning? I can learn." Marcus almost heard the "domine" Esca omitted. He sat up too, feeling light-headed with the revelation.

"I saw a painting of the practice and thought you might be pleased," Esca continued obliviously. His words drove into Marcus like a dagger.

"And does it please you?" Marcus asked. When Esca didn't answer, his swung his legs on the floor and meant to stand up. Esca grasped his arm.

"Let me try again, Marcus. I will be better. Have I done it wrong? Or do you wish to do something else?"

Marcus felt tears sting his eyes and wrenched free so Esca wouldn't see them.

"I had not known that I... I thought you stayed with me of your own accord."

"I'm sorry," Esca mumbled. Marcus turned around and saw Esca hunched over, his knees drawn to his chest, his head hanging low.

"It is I who has to apologise."

"I didn't want it to be true. I had hoped that … in time you would forget," Esca said.

"How could I forget your status as a freedman when I freed you?"

Esca looked up, bewilderment for the first time plain on his face. Marcus had seen the look before and had not believed its meaning. Esca was the one with the good right foot. He had never stumbled on their journey, never doubted, never _asked_.

"What do you want me to forget?"

"That I'm not a woman."

Marcus felt laughter threaten him. He crossed the room again and sat on the foot of the bed, looking at Esca. The night was lit by a waxing moon and Esca sat in the light from a small window. "I'm aware that you are no woman. Why would I want a woman? Or a wife?"

"Sooner or later you will want one."

"No. And if I had that wish, you thought your face would remind me of it?"

"I'm no longer a youth. Do not tell me you want to feel the stubble on my face or the callouses on my hands."

"I want to feel them, Esca. I don't want a youth. Even if..." Esca shook his head.

"You're already tired of me. I'm not … not versed in the Roman ways. When I tried to fellate you, you pushed me away."

"Esca, answer me honestly. Do you still see the master in me? A master who would command you to do these things?"

"I would do anything if you would have me. Am I not the centurion's hound?"

Marcus choked on his next words: "But it doesn't bring you pleasure."

Esca frowned. "Every time when we are together I feel like the tide is coming upon me. All I can do is surrender." Marcus bit his lip and Esca continued. "I lie awake at night, next to you and I don't want to tempt the fates. It is known that the Romans do everything in moderation and your gods curse those that don't. So I try to keep still so you will not find me too wanton."

Marcus gave into the laughter. The look of hurt on Esca's face sobered him. "Oh, Esca. I never meant to laugh. Forgive me. Forgive me for my Roman ways and my tied tongue. I have the same wants."

"Most nights you are asleep as soon as we go to bed," Esca pointed out. He still sounded doubtful. It was true but Marcus remembered all the times Esca had ignored or refused him. Esca seemed to know what he was thinking. "And I don't want you to overextend yourself. Your leg..."

"Doesn't concern me when I'm with you," Marcus said. "When we work, I watch you all the time. I imagine your hands in my hair and your mouth kissing me. And I want to touch you and hear you groan."

"Oh." It was a small noise, at odds with the Esca Marcus knew. Marcus sat closer, still watching Esca's face, turned away from him and in deep thoughts.

He rested a hand on Esca's knee and when he wasn't pushed away, he slid his hand in the space between Esca's chest and knees. For a moment he just rested there, feeling Esca's heart beat.

"May I touch you?" Esca's legs fell open. Marcus felt his naked belly with his fingertips and traced the muscles in those legs but he didn't dare go further and didn't look down. Instead he saw Esca's mouth open slightly. Esca's eyes darted around, then he wordlessly eased down. Lying on his back half in the moon light, half in the shadows Esca's skin glowed. Marcus leaned over him and kissed him lightly.

Esca's mouth curled. "Maybe we can share a blanket. I'm cold." Marcus slide in beside him, wrapping his arm around Esca's chest.

"We can sleep," he said and tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Esca murmured: "That is not what I meant, Marcus."

"Is it the way of the Britons to do these things at night and under a blanket?"

Esca shrugged. "I've never seen two men together before I came here." Marcus tightened his hold on Esca and tried hard to steer his thoughts from Esca's former masters and what they might have done. Suddenly Esca's aloofness and pride stood in a different light. Had he been that innocent? And why hadn't Marcus seen it?

Shame rushed into him when he thought about the first night they had spend together. Wrenching Esca's legs apart, pushing oily fingers into him and finally taking him hurriedly. Marcus had been afraid Esca would come to his senses and voice his disgust. But Esca had stayed still.

Marcus wanted to make it up to him. He wanted to offer him everything in turn but the words stuck in his throat. Esca sensed his unease, probably feeling it in Marcus' taut muscles.

"Marcus?"

He forced his hand to move across Esca's shoulder and trailed fingers down his arm. Esca twitched. Marcus pushed himself up and leaned over with his hands next to Esca's shoulders. For a moment Esca seemed to shrink under his gaze, not quite daring to meet Marcus' gaze. It disheartened Marcus so much that he couldn't cross the distance between them to kiss Esca.

Then Esca did look up and his eyes reflected defiance, fear and longing. Marcus couldn't have said which emotion was the strongest when his dipped his head and kissed him. Esca exhaled through his nose and pressed his head in the pillow beneath. Marcus kissed his cheeks, then his forehead to see Esca's eyes close. He kissed Esca's temple and breathed in his hair. He moved his mouth down his neck. Finally he kissed him on the nose.

Esca smiled. He had put his arms around Marcus' waist. "Will you fuck me now?" For a moment Marcus was taken aback at the harshness of the tone.

"Have I spoken out of turn?"

"No. But is it what you want?" Marcus asked. He couldn't say the words one directed at whores and slaves. Neither should Esca.

"Yes. I want it very much." Esca spoke slowly, still staring up to gauge Marcus' reaction. Marcus moved against his hip, letting him feel how hard he was. Esca made to turn over. Marcus kissed him again and held his shoulder down. Esca's own cock lay stiff on his belly. Marcus grasped it.

"Don't", Esca barked out. "I can't stand it." Marcus squeezed him. Esca grabbed his wrist and tried to pull his hand away. "Please or I will..."

"I want you to", Marcus breathed into Esca's open mouth. He licked Esca's bottom lip and Esca's grip on his wrist slacked. Then his hand moved over Marcus' and set the rhythm to their strokes.

He wrenched his head to the side and groaned loudly when he came. Marcus stared down and felt his vision go blurry. What he wanted was to bend down and lick Esca's belly clean. But that was unheard of and he contended himself with spurting his own seed on the same spot. When his breathing slowed, he felt the pain in his lame leg. He rolled to the side and on his back. Esca hadn't moved but Marcus had felt his eyes on him when he had jerked his own cock.

"Did you like it?" Marcus asked.

The silence stretched again before Esca cautiously replied: "I expected different but maybe we can do it again. But first, when your strength has returned, centurion, you will fuck me. Yes?"

"Yes, Esca. I will do as you ask."

"Good."

The treacherous sea that was his life with Esca stretched out. From here they could only move onwards.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fill for a [kinkmeme prompt](http://the-eagle-kink.livejournal.com/752.html?thread=20720#t20720).
> 
> Title is from a line of Othello: "Your words and performances are no kin together."
> 
> Unbetaed and I would appreciate it if mistakes are pointed out.


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